Puppy School Drop-out

I love my dog.  Not in a weird, socially-uncomfortable sort of way, but I do love her to pieces.  She's my little companion during the days that all 3 minis are in school, so she spends her days happily following me around the house.  That is, until I get the vacuum out.  Then she shoots me her look and heads outside.

I decided to sign my sweet Lola up for puppy obedience school.  She is a really mellow and well-behaved dog at home, so I am toying with the idea of doing a therapy dog training.  When my oldest mini was in the hospital several years ago, he had a dog come visit him and he still talks about how much he loved that experience!

And since we regularly visit children's hospitals, I thought it would be neat to take our dog with us.  So this was the reasoning behind my brilliant idea to enroll Lola into obedience school.

To put it mildly, Lola was the "wild woman" of puppy school.  And by "wild woman," I mean it took 3 instructors plus myself to get her under control.  And a special collar that they swore doesn't hurt her.  However, they didn't volunteer to put it on when I asked if I could try it out on them first.  You know, just to prove to myself that it wouldn't hurt her.

We finally got her settled down enough to take her into the arena where all the other puppies were.  We were about 30 seconds into training "heel" which basically means walking your dog in a circle and keeping them on the left side of your body, when I realized people were talking trash about my dog.  Seriously.  Dog owners were gossiping about my dog to their dog.  "Mac, stay away from the chocolate over there.  Those chocolates are the wild ones."  "Charlie, look at that chocolate.  Don't you ever behave like that."

And that's when I realized that puppy owners were about as supportive and encouraging as first time moms in a playgroup.  "Morgan, stay away from that baby, he can't even crawl yet."  "Benjamin would never need to feed in the middle of the night now that he is 6 months old."  "My baby is 18 months old and is reading.  Your baby is 18 months old and is eating all the books."  blah blah blah.

I was the mom of the kid that hit all his first year milestones about 6 months late.  And then I was the mom of the biter.  And then I was the mom of the kid that screamed whenever anyone that wasn't her mom tried to talk to her.

Needless to say I left both playgroups and obedience school feeling a little discouraged.

When I got home, I was sharing the experience with Mr. McGhee and the minis overheard the conversation. And, let me just tell you, my minis were fired up.  These guys right here were ready for a throw down.  

And then my girl mini burst into tears because it "hurts my feelings that people are mean to my Lola-girl."

And then Mr. McGhee was all fired up because not only had someone talked trash about his dog, his wife was upset, his boy minis were wound up, and his girl mini was in tears.

And then I made the comment that I found those perfectly well-behaved dogs nauseatingly boring.  Just like I find perfect children and perfect adults a tad boring as well.  I like some spunk, to keep things interesting.  We all had a good chuckled and I said that I would work with Lola this week before our next class, so hopefully things will run a bit smoother.  My middle mini insisted that he didn't want me to work Lola too hard and risk de-spunking her!

And since we all felt like our spirits had been darkened a bit, I decided to make something for dinner that would cheer us all up.  And for those of you that are faithful blog readers, you all know that my minis favorite food is asparagus. So I decided to whip up this pasta recipe.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 pound penne
• 1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Cut up your asparagus.

Cover it with oil and put in on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Cook your vinegar until there is only 3 tbsp left.  This is called a reduction.

Your reduction will be thick....you can see the line I made with my spatula.

Asparagus, when it is done roasting.

Add butter and your balsamic sauce to your cooked pasta.

Mix in your cheese.

This recipe is good.  It's not an oh, my totally delish recipe.  But it definitely is an easy, quick, and tasty dinner.  I served mine with this salad, and it was the perfect dinner for a crabby family.  

Stay tuned for puppy obedience school updates.  And, if you can, please send a little prayer up that my sweet Lola girl doesn't poop in the middle of the arena while all the other dogs are marching around and heeling.  Because that little incident was a little too much "spunk" for me!

Walmart Apples

I did a little experiment the other day.  I stopped by this little farmers stand where I have been getting my produce lately to buy some apples.  I was ecstatic to see that they had honey crisp apples, which are our favorites.  Our farmers stand just so happens to be located in the Walmart parking lot.  And it dawned on me that Walmart sells apples too.  So, I ran inside Walmart to purchase a honey crisp apple.  And, I am sad to say, I did not have any people of Walmart moments on that trip, unlike the last time I was at Walmart and the check out girl showed me her hysterectomy scar.

I took the apples home and compared the two.  I was pretty shocked at what I saw.

(organic on the left, Walmart on the right)

(Organic on top, Walmart on the bottom).

My first thought when I compared these two is "what the heck is Sam Walton putting on his apples?"  Now, we all know that apples are on the top of the dirty dozen list because they contain the highest level of pesticides found in produce.  And guess what?  The apples are then dipped in wax to preserve their freshness...essentially, sealing in all those pesticides.  

Buy organic apples.  

Now this would be the perfect time to share my favorite apple recipe with you.  If I had a favorite apple recipe.  We eat ours straight up, so I don't have an apple recipe to share!

I'll make it up to you and share a recipe that contains my mini's two favorite foods, asparagus and bacon.  

Bacon Wrapped Carmalized Sesame Asparagus

• 1 bunch of asparagus, about 20-25 spears, stems removed
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. 

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together oils, brown sugar and garlic. Set aside.

3.  Bunch together 5-6 asparagus spears and tightly wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. 

4.  Place on the wire rack seam-side down and repeat. Using a pastry brush, a spoon or even your hands (I did this…), brush the spears thoroughly with the oil/sugar mixture. Give each bundle a hefty sprinkle of sesame seeds. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Serve warm.

(I also read an adaptation on Pinterest that you can marinate the spears in italian dressing, wrap in bacon, and then bake).

Wrapped up and ready to bake.

 Finished baking and ready to be enjoyed.

These were delish.  We all loved them.  One of us preferred the bacon over the asparagus spears.  I won't name names, but it's the mini McGhee that wears pigtails and all things sparkly.

Summer BBQ

Mr. McGhee and I love to entertain.  Nothing makes us happier than being surrounded by family and friends in our home, with the swimming pool, swingset, and backyard full of activity.  To us, summers are backflip and cannonball contests off the diving board and dance parties around the siwmming pool.  And that's just the adults I'm talking about!  


And, of course, nothing makes me happier than having a backyard full of people that need to be fed.  

I always tell guests that want to bring something to bring snack food or dessert.  I'll take care of everything else.  This is my go-to BBQ meal....spicy honey chicken, grilled veggies, and fruit salad.  The fruit salad is easy.  Cut up some watermelon, berries, grapes, and any other fruit you like and toss it all in a bowl.  That's it!  The spicy honey chicken takes a bit more work.  

Spicy Honey Chicken

Chicken Rub

• 2 tsp granulated garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Glaze

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar

1.  Mix all spices together.
2.  Drizzle oil on chicken (I use a mix of breasts and thighs) and rub the chicken rub onto the chicken (how's that for obvious?)
3.  Grill chicken until no longer pink in the middle.
4.  Warm honey and add vinegar.
5.  Pour honey/vinegar mixture on chicken.  Grill an additional minute.  

6.  Pour any leftover honey/vinegar mixture on chicken when serving.

Can I give you a tip?  Make a huge batch of the chicken rub and store it in a glass jar in your spice cabinet.  Make extras for all your friends to take home that night.  They'll be asking for it and call you to thank you every time they use it.  

I always serve this chicken with grilled veggies.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing my hungry guests chow down on vegetables.

Grilled Veggies

• assortment of veggies (get an assortment of your favorites...here's what I used)
• 3 summer squash, 3 red bell peppers, 3 zucchini, 1 eggplant, mushrooms, and a bunch of asparagus
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 cloves fresh crushed garlic
• fresh basil 
• fresh rosemary
• fresh italian parsley

1.  Slice the veggies lengthwise into about 1/4 inch slices.
2.  Brush each side of the veggies with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
3.  Grill the veggies on each side until tender and slightly charred.  Don't move the veggies around on the grill too much, you want those black grill marks!
4.  Mix 4 tbsp olive oil with 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar.  Add garlic and fresh herbs.  I make this ahead of time and let it sit so the flavors can blend together.
5.  Once the veggies are grilled, put them on a platter and brush the oil/vinegar/herb mixture all over the veggies.

Here's the herb mixture.  As you can see, I use a lot of herbs.  They're the star of the show.

This is what I like to call Holy Grilled Goodness.  My prep + Mr. McGhee's cooking = Heaven in the mouth

The minis fight over this asparagus.  Let me repeat that.  The minis fight over this asparagus.

If you're a local reader, don't be surprised if the McGhees invite you over for a BBQ and serve you this meal.  If you aren't local, fire up your BBQ and make this meal.  Channel your inner McGhee.  You'll have a blast, I promise.

Picky Eaters

Do you know what the kiss of death of parenting is?  That moment when you get all hoity-toity, huffy-puffy, and start clucking your tongue, sigh, and claim, "I will never do that with my minis."  You can fill in the blank with what it is you will never do......sleep with your baby, whip the boobie out in public, use a leash, do your mini's homework for them, clean your mini's face with your spit, prop a bottle in the carseat, bring the boyfriend on vacation, put your minis to bed with dirty teeth and no bedtime story, let your mini pee in a cup in a moving vehicle, let the baby cry it out, give your 10 year old mini a cell phone, overschedule your minis, put the minis in front of a movie so you can lock yourself in the room and finish your book, let your mini go without a coat in the middle of January, or even hide between a display case in the grocery store to let your mini experience what it feels like when mommy can't find you.


If you can't relate to any this, then either your minis aren't old enough to push you to your end of your sanity or you're simply a better mother than the rest of mothers worldwide.

One thing I always said I would never do when I have minis is make a separate meal for the minis.  "I will never make a separate meal for my minis, my minis are going to eat what I eat or they'll go to bed hungry."  Somehow God heard my plans, had a good chuckle, and then gave me these three.....

Cute as can be, aren't they?  Good thing too because, guess what?!?!  My minis are picky eaters.  Now, they will eat every fruit under the sun and all raw veggies.  And that's all that they can agree on.  I've got one that will eat meat, two that won't.  I've got two that love cheese, one that picks it off of everything.  Two that love pasta and bread, one that doesn't.  Two that eat sweets, one that prefers chips and salsa.  You get my point.  These are the foods that I can serve that I know for sure all three of my minis will eat.

• fruit
• raw veggies with hummus
• bacon

Most mealtimes in our house consist of Mr. McGhee playing a game of "How old are you? Well, that's how many bites you have to take of each thing on your plate." while I grumble about how we should just have BLTs and fruit salad every night.  

One thing my minis do love is asparagus.  Throw a little olive oil, balsamic, and sea salt on asparagus and grill it.....my minis eat it like it's candy.  So, when I saw a recipe called Absurdly Addictive Asparagus, I knew I had to try it.  

Absurdly Addictive Asparagus

• 4 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 lb asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces on the bias
• 1 1/4 cup leek, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1-2 tbsp italian parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.

2.  Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leek and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

3.  Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

Here's pancetta, AKA italian bacon

Asparagus and leeks, ready to be added

Finished dish.

Now, I really wish this story had a happy ending.  I really wanted my minis to love the absurdly addictive asparagus so much that I had to send Mr. McGhee to the store to buy more asparagus so we could have it again tonight.  Unfortunately, all 3 of my minis took a look at this dish and said, "what's all that stuff in with the asparagus?  I don't like that stuff, I only like the asparagus.....but, now the asparagus is going to taste like all that stuff.  And I just don't liiiiiiiike thiiiiiiis."   And I was like, "you know what?  Have a kiwi instead."  So, they did.  And Mr. McGhee and I ate the absurdly addictive asparagus, which oddly enough....I did not find to be absurdly addicting.  I thought it was quite tasty and will definitely make it again.  But, the whole absurdly addictive name got my expectations up really high.  

My minis ate their kiwi with leftover broccoli cheddar soup, and cheddar/muenster grilled cheese sandwiches.  And, not surprising.....two ate the soup but didn't touch the grilled cheese, one ate the grilled cheese but didn't touch the soup.  They all ate the kiwi and the Minneola tangelos we had for dessert.  

And then Mr. McGhee and I tossed them into bed....with dirty teeth and no bedtime story.